Which sentence uses commas correctly in a list?

Which sentence uses commas correctly in a list?

• A. I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.
• B. I bought apples, bananas, oranges.
• C. I bought apples and oranges, and bananas.
• D. I bought apples oranges and bananas.

Answer: (C)

When listing items, commas help show where each item ends and the next one begins. Here, “apples and oranges” is treated as a single unit in the list, with “bananas” as the second item. The comma before the final “and” separates that last item and makes the boundary clear, so it’s easy to read that there are two units being bought: the pair apples and oranges, and bananas. This usage helps prevent any confusion from the internal “and” inside the first item. Other options either omit a needed separator or can lead to ambiguity about how many items are being listed.

When listing items, commas help show where each item ends and the next one begins. Here, “apples and oranges” is treated as a single unit in the list, with “bananas” as the second item. The comma before the final “and” separates that last item and makes the boundary clear, so it’s easy to read that there are two units being bought: the pair apples and oranges, and bananas. This usage helps prevent any confusion from the internal “and” inside the first item. Other options either omit a needed separator or can lead to ambiguity about how many items are being listed.